Protecting My Protector
by Foreverwolf
Summary: Karofsky went after Kurt for revenge on getting him expelled. Minor spoilers for Furt and Special Education, seriously minor. Lousy summary.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** My first Glee fic. I just started watching the series, so please be gentle if I'm a little off character.

So, obviously a bit of an AU. Takes place between Furt and Special Education. WARNING: Some very mild spoilers for these episodes.

Also, I was challenged by a friend to write a multi chapter, but to make each chapter no more than a few paragraphs. I have to admit, it was actually a lot harder than I imagined, lol. It's driving me nuts not to be able to fully develop the story, lol. To my friend, I say this: NEVER AGAIN! But I do appreciate your efforts to challenge my writing styles, and capabilities.

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"And you think this is going to solve things?" Finn shouted, hating the way his soon to be step brother flinched away from him. "Karofsky getting expelled isn't going to stop him, it's going to piss him off!"

Kurt glanced up the stairs, hoping his parents- and didn't the plural sound strange after so many years- were still in the backyard. "Keep your voice down!"

"Why?" Finn demanded.

"Because all they need to be concentrating on is the wedding! This is_ my _problem, Finn!" Kurt hissed back. "You didn't care this much when it was going to cost you your position on the football team."

"Kurt-"

"Enough! He's been expelled. He can't touch me anymore."

"Please, Kurt, you have to listen to me-"

"I think we've said all we need to. Now, I wanted to talk to you about walking your mom down the isle. I've come up with a really awesome idea."

Finn shook his head as Kurt moved away, already dismissing any further conversation on the subject. For whatever reason, the younger boy was deliberately choosing not to understand. He knew Kurt was strong. He respected the hell out of him for it, but fancy words weren't the weapon of choice here. Everyone had their limits, and Karofsky had already pushed Kurt dangerously close to his.

He couldn't shake the feeling that something very bad was coming around the corner.


	2. I Wish I Could Stay

**AN:** I'm afraid I fell off the challenge wagon here. I tried to keep it down to a couple of paragraphs, and it's still not as fleshed out as I would like it to be, but, well, here it is.

**AN 2:** As a personal question, I made up an really nice fanvid for Glee, but Youtube blasted it within an hour of it being posted for copyright material- does anyone have any idea how to avoid that? I mean, mine was no different than anyone else's. Any and all suggestions welcome!

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It was everything Kurt could do to keep his head held high as he walked out of the choir room. He blinked, trying to keep his tears at bay, at least until he got out of the school. His shoulders ached with the weight of the disappointed understanding in the eyes of his friends and brother. They'd done so much for him, and after all their hard work for the wedding, he felt like he was throwing sand in their faces for their efforts.

He wanted to run back to them, accept their offer to protect him. Anything to keep from running away. But he couldn't do it anymore. That constant terror had been all consuming. The energy he'd spent keeping it at bay had worn him down to his very soul.

Finn's warning from before the wedding came back to haunt him. He'd been right. Karofsky would be seriously pissed. The tormenting would get worse, for him, and anyone with him. He'd made a play and lost the ball. Kurt would give anything to have been right in his denial. He'd been so stupid. How could he think it would have worked to his favor? He thought he'd been willing to pay that price. God. He couldn't believe how naive he'd been.

The reasons for leaving far outweighed those for staying. If only the one reason to stay wasn't so damn compelling. But he had others to think of. He appreciated more than he could ever express their offer to shadow him, but he couldn't do that to them. How many relationships would suffer while they spent their time protecting him? How much would they give up, until, ultimately, they began to resent him for it?

He loved them. More fiercely than he could bear to admit, even to himself. For the first time since his mother passed away, Kurt felt like he was a part of something. Of a real family. Walking away now felt like he was watching that casket being lowered into the ground all over again.

But they _were_ family. And as such, he had a responsibility to protect them- even from themselves. Then there was his father to think about. He needed to know Kurt was safe, too. It wasn't good for him to worry so much. He knew staying would kill them both.

Finn. Wonderful, loyal, Finn. He had just gained a family, something he had proven he was willing to fight for. The male lead might think that _he_ was the protector of the two, but Kurt had been running interference for a long time. He'd slushied his own face, acting in that role. He'd defended the boy even while he flung that dirty word at him. He'd opened his home to him, offered to share a father he was used to having all to himself. And allowed him to think it was because of a crush, rather than forcing Finn to face the truth.

A shared truth that Kurt would take to his grave- that he recognized the other boy was _searching_, just like him. They were both reaching for something, for the missing people in their lives. His father and Carole had been searching as well. Setting up their parents had not been a fluke, or a stupid high school crush. It had been an attempt- a successful one, if he wanted to be less than modest- to fix four very damaged people. To repair what had been taken from all of them. To show them all the path forward, no matter how much it had hurt to let go of his mother.

He had no choice. It was his job to protect both his families. And he was fierce in that role. If they never truly understood- he thought he could live with that. So long as they were safe. Which they would never really be if he stayed.

He stood outside the school property, saying his silent goodbyes. He hoped, in time, that they'd understand, and forgive him.

And then maybe- just maybe- he'd be able to forgive himself.


	3. Consequences

**AN: **Thank you to all who favorited and alerted! Greatly appreciated :)

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Blaine cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the silence that loomed over the kitchen. He'd come over to celebrate Kurt's transfer, and to be there as a friend, knowing exactly how hard it would be for the young diva to leave. While his old school was ripe with bad memories, there were a few special people he missed. He wanted his friend to know it would get better, someday.

Finn was clearly unhappy with it. And didn't feel the need to keep it a secret. "It sucks."

"Do you really think you could have protected him?" Blaine asked. "You can't be with him every second of the day."

"Between all of us, we could have had him covered," Finn insisted stubbornly, glancing at the door, then at his watch. "He's late." He wished he knew why he was feeling so antsy, but put it down to not being happy with being left out of such a major decision.

Blaine looked at his own watch. Finn was right. Kurt should have beat them home by hours. "Does he detour a lot?"

"He likes to walk when things get tough."

"It's pouring rain. It would mess up his hair," Blaine pointed out worriedly.

The turning of the knob had them both rushing to the front door, and stopping dead in their tracks at the sight in front of them. Kurt stood, leaning against the door jam, his eyes closed, trying to take shallow breaths. His soaked clothes were torn and bloodied, his normally extensively coiffed hair matted flat. Bruises were already starting to show against his pale complexion and his nose didn't seem to want to stop bleeding. But the biggest concern was the pool of blood staining the shredded t-shirt on his side. It was Blaine who recovered first.

"Oh my god! Kurt!"

Kurt's eyes flew open, and he stubbornly straightened up, determined as ever not to show any weakness in front of anyone. "I'm fine. It looks worse than it is," he wheezed. He didn't need them here right now. He just wanted to crawl into his own bed and die for a few hours.

Finn growled. "What the hell happened?" Now that he recovered from the initial shock, he felt his blood begin to boil. He knew what had happened. But he needed to hear it. To give his immediate rage an outlet.

Blaine moved closer to the trembling boy, his hands raised as though dealing with a skittish horse, sensing what was coming. "Kurt, you need help."

"Suffice to say, Finn, that you were right. I pissed him off," Kurt answered with a pained smirk, looking all the more garish for the blood visible on his usually pearl white teeth, and completely ignoring what Blaine had said. "Where's Dad?"

"They went back to work," Finn answered, narrowing his eyes. Kurt looked even paler now then he had walking in. His breathing seemed to hitch on it's own, too. He didn't look as fine as he claimed.

Kurt nodded, hating what was coming, but knowing there was no way to avoid it. "Good. No hospitals," he gasped painfully.

He promptly proceeded to pass out.

"Kurt!" Both boys shouted.


	4. Not Fine

**AN: **Thank you to all who reviewed, favorited and alerted :)

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Blaine caught him on the way down, wincing when the dead weight hit his arms. "Kurt!" There was no response as he gently eased him to the floor. "My god, he's ice cold!"

Finn stood, staring, shocked by what was happening. It was all going too fast. He felt panic replacing his anger. There would be time for that later. For now the image of his brother bloody and unconscious in Blaine's arms was something he couldn't process. "What do we do?"

Blaine glanced over at the jock. Finn looked so lost. And Kurt was cooling faster in his arms, the cold rain outside and blood loss doing vicious things to the small body cradled against him. Not the way he had planned to spend his evening. "Get me a blanket to warm him up. And call 911."

Finn frowned. "He said no hospitals."

"He also said he was fine. Note: _So_ not!" Blaine growled, trying to reign in his frustration, even as he turned his attention back to the younger man. He hated to know that one of the big reasons for Kurt's no hospital policy had to do with money. The other being terrified of the stress on his father. Blaine knew how the younger boy lived for the man. Going against his wishes would probably end their fledgling friendship. But Kurt hadn't moved, his breathing getting more shallow and challenged with every breath. "Help me get him to the couch."

With an immediate action to take, Finn didn't hesitate in squatting down, placing one arm under Kurt's thin neck, the other under his knees. He lifted the small boy easily. He flinched when he felt ribs shift. The blood from Kurt's side was still growing, soaking through to Finn's shirt. "Uh- he's hurt pretty bad." Blood dripped from the corner of the slightly blue lips.

Blaine took a deep breath, realizing the decisions would be up to him. In his heart, he mourned the consequences for the action he was about to take, but he didn't have a choice. Not one he could live with, anyway. "Put him in my car. We'll drive him to the hospital." A compromise for Kurt's sake.

Holding the fragile boy in his arms, Finn felt sure it was going to be the longest drive he'd ever taken.

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Kurt felt himself drifting toward the surface. It took about five seconds to realize that wasn't where he wanted to be. Pain washed in from every source. He wanted to run from it, but then felt someone take his hand. He was surprised to discover there was at least one part of his body that wasn't screaming at him.

"Kurt? Come on. Open those beautiful eyes for me."

Ah, Blaine. No one else could know flattery would get him everywhere. He twitched his fingers, hoping it would be enough. Obviously not because he felt Blaine stand, even while never letting go of his hand.

"Nurse! Get the doctor! He's waking up," Blaine called out loudly, making Kurt wince as it sent waves of pain pounding through his head. He moaned, wishing he could fall back into the bliss of darkness.

Blaine looked back down at the sound, feeling bad for his loudness. "Sorry," he whispered. He'd felt his heart jump into his throat when he first felt his friend begin to move. He moved immediately to shut off the light over the hospital bed. Kurt's barely opened eyes had slammed shut again.

He saw Kurt lick his lips, and reached for the glass of water that had been placed on the bedside table, forever hopeful for it's need.

After taking a sip and allowing his eyes to adjust to the lower light, Kurt offered a weak smile. "Thank you." He looked over the other boy, sensing his raw nerves. "You look exhausted."

Blaine grinned, trying not to wince at the hoarseness of the younger boy's voice. "And yet, amazingly, still on top of the charts in comparison."

Kurt huffed indignantly, coughing lightly, flinching when it pulled at his chest. "Five minutes ago I had beautiful eyes."

"Five minutes ago you were still unconscious. It worked."

"Always does," Kurt confirmed. He was tired, but even he could sense that Blaine needed this banter to lighten whatever had been weighing him down. He closed his eyes, only meaning to rest quietly.

"Kurt!"

His eyes flew open at the panic in Blaine's voice. He frowned, finding absolute terror on the other teen's face. He was definitely missing something. He knew where he was, and why he was here. That wound was perhaps the deepest of them all. Finn had been right, and he'd been an idiot to ignore it. It wasn't the first time his pride had gotten him into trouble. "What?"

"You have to stay awake until the doctor gets here."

Kurt waved him off, surprised at how weak his muscles were. "Bumps and bruises, that's all. You and Finn totally over reacted." He didn't want his new friend to worry about him. He was used to handling things on his own and it irritated him that this situation had gotten so far out of his control.

Blaine looked down at his feet, but once again took Kurt's hand, patting it. Frowning, Kurt tried to push himself into more of a sitting position, but was interrupted by Finn bursting in the door.

"You're awake!" He looked extremely happy over the prospect. Come to think of it, Kurt didn't actually remember the trip to the hospital. He must have passed out. At least now he knew what the fuss was about. He must have scared them.

"So it would appear."

Finn frowned for a moment, getting that confused look on his face for a moment, before shrugging and breaking into another smile. "And no brain damage." Finn dropped his dopey grin. "Unless- do you know who I am?"

"Hmm, let me think. Would you happen to be the person who totally disregarded my request to _not_ visit this house of horrors?" Kurt asked sweetly, smiling when Finn looked even more concerned.

It was Blaine who finally had pity on him. "No brain damage, Finn. Are Burt and Carole coming?"

Finn nodded. "I called them as soon as the nurse told me."

Kurt groaned. "Tell me you didn't call them out of work for such a silly thing?" Burt didn't need this! A part of him was furious at the two boys standing in his room, but the bigger part of him appreciated that he had scared them, that they had been concerned. It was hard to stay mad at them.

Finn frowned, and exchanged a glance with Blaine, who shook his head. Kurt watched the exchange, wondering when the hell the two boys had had time to get close enough to speak without words. "Obviously someone is not telling me something. Spill."

"I think, maybe, it might be a good idea if you talk to the doctor, first," Finn hedged.

Kurt chuckled, wincing when it pulled on still tender ribs. They, his left side, and his shoulder, seemed to be the main focal points of most of his pain. "Oh relax, would you. It was just a little game of beat up the homo. It's not like I died or anything," Kurt snorted. Which he immediately regretted when it sent more pressure into his pounding head. As much as he knew the two boy deserved some reassurance, he just wanted to go home and crash for a while.

For the first time in his life, he wished he wasn't so smart when he noticed two sets of eyes immediately drop to the floor. The tense postures of two boys who couldn't be more opposite became absolutely identical. "Oh."

"Kurt-"

"How long have I been here?"

"You've been in a deep coma for two weeks," a hard voice answered from the door. The man moved closer, and Kurt couldn't help but notice the way he desperately needed some moisturizer. Those latex gloves didn't do anyone's hands any favors. "Mr. Hummel, it's nice to finally meet you."


	5. Protecting the Innocent

**AN: **I'm posting the last chapters today. I've started the sequel, where I'm not limited by the challenge set by my friend, lol, which will continue on from this story and focus on Kurt's recovery.

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Blinking away his confusion, Kurt nodded slowly. "Thank you, Dr.?"

"I'm Dr. Siun."

"Two weeks?"

Dr. Siun looked at the other two boys. "Could you give us a moment, please?"

Both boys made to leave, but Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand, and sent a pleading look in Finn's direction. He needed them as anchors right now. Two weeks of his life had been lost to a burst of homophobic fear. From the exhaustion and remaining traces of panic on the faces of his friends, it could have been a lot longer than that. "No."

"Kurt, we could wait for our parents to get here," Finn suggested. "If that would make you feel better."

Kurt shook his head. "Everybody else already knows what's going on. I'm fine, really. Just, stay, please?"

Finn nodded, taking a seat on another chair in the back of the room that Kurt hadn't noticed until now. "To be honest, they've been throwing around a lot of medical jargon for weeks, and I don't understand a lot of it. It would be nice to hear the _simple_ version."

The worst two weeks of his life, he was sure. Blaine, and his parents, had tried very hard to make it simple for him, but he hadn't been able to understand. All he knew was that his new brother was lying in a hospital bed, and wouldn't wake up. He'd begged, screamed, cried, shouted. Nothing had changed. He didn't understand why.

Dr. Siun nodded. "Recap. Your brother and friend rushed you to the hospital when you collapsed, unconscious after a severe beating. You had several broken ribs, one floating. The floating rib punctured your lung. The stab wound to your side was quite deep, but missed your vital organs. It did, however, skim one of your intestines. Infection had already set in by the time you made your way home. You went septic within a day of being admitted. You suffered a moderate concussion, your left shoulder was dislocated, your right ankle was badly sprained. You've suffered extensive intramuscular bruising, and we managed to get the internal bleeding under control fairly quickly."

Kurt closed his eyes. Flashes from the beating ran through his mind. He didn't remember getting stabbed, but he remembered his head being bashed on the sidewalk. Everything after that was a little fuzzy. Still. He needed to be strong for his family. They couldn't see how freaked out he was. "All in all, not too bad."

"You're still fighting off a high fever. The blood poisoning is being resistant to treatment. We're also monitoring your kidneys, as they'll be the first to shut down if we don't get it under control. Your heart, Mr. Hummel, stopped twice. Once while you were in surgery, the other after you slipped into a coma. All in all, you're very lucky. You almost died and your chances of brain damage were significant," Dr. Siun replied with a frown, not taking Kurt blase attitude very well.

Blaine lowered his forehand to the frail hand he held. Two weeks being fed liquid supplements had wasted away what little weight Kurt had. "You have no idea how close it was, Kurt. No idea," he whispered miserably.

"Your friends-"

"Blaine is his friend. I'm his brother," Finn interrupted harshly, the strain of the past weeks showing on him, as well. No one had ever broken down the list of injuries for him like that before. He was beginning to suspect that they had been trying to protect him from it. He was starting to get the feeling that there was a lot he was protected from.

"The boys haven't left your side for a moment more than they had to. The members of your Glee club and a couple of your teachers have been here quite a bit as well. You're lucky to have such an amazing support system, Mr. Hummel."

Kurt smiled, trying to clamp down on the voice in his head that shouted he had abandoned that support system. "You don't know the half of it."

Blaine raised his head, smiling at the recognition. The exact subtlety was lost on Finn, but he understood the tone of gratitude, nonetheless. He smiled back.

Dr. Siun cleared his throat. "When your parents get here, we'll discuss what's going to happen from here on out. Boys, let him sleep if he wants to. Healing is exhausting work."

Silence filled the room when the doctor left, and Kurt found himself wishing he could do just that- sleep for another two weeks. He was so tired. But he felt he owed some time to the two boys in the room. He needed to make sure they were okay, first.

"Kurt- when you feel up to talking about what happened-" Finn hinted, unsure of how to proceed. He'd been carrying around a lot of anger for the past two weeks. As much as he wanted revenge, he hadn't dared leave Kurt's side for more than the time necessary to go to school. When everyday had been touch and go- he wouldn't give that time to someone like Karofsky.

The guilt had been neck and neck with the anger. He'd _known_ something was going to happen. Boys like Karofsky didn't take these things lightly. He'd even warned Kurt about it. He _knew_ the kid was stubborn. How could he have let him out of his sight? They were supposed to protect him! But they'd failed- miserably. He understood, a little more, why Kurt had opted to leave. Kurt, in his own way, had been right too.

"It's still fuzzy, Finn. To be honest, I'm not one hundred percent sure what happened," Kurt replied. He figured he was getting used to disappointing people, but nothing could have prepared him for Blaine's explosive anger.

"Why are you protecting him?" Blaine demanded, standing up abruptly, his own rage clear in his voice. "You _told_ us it was Karofsky!"

Kurt picked at invisible fluffs on the impeccable hospital sheets. "I don't remember that." A lie. But just one more he would take to his grave. Sure. David Karofsky could be put in jail for a very long time if he told, but he would eventually get out. And he had friends who were just as eager to take up his crusade. Kurt had learned his lesson about pissing the bully off. There were still too many people who were exposed, vulnerable. No one was safe if Karofsky's goons decided to up their game. These two boys were first and foremost on the potential target list. "And since I don't remember, I won't swear to it in court." No, better Karofsky was within sight, and merely pissed at him.

Blaine ran his hand through his hair. "Unbelievable."

Kurt turned pleading eyes on him. "Blaine-" There was no way to make him understand.

"Do you understand that he almost _killed_ you? Do you understand that if you don't _do_ something about it now, he'll do it to someone else? What happens if another gay boy shows up before Karofsky and his band of merry men graduate?" Blaine took a deep breath to calm himself. "Do you understand what the last two weeks have been like, for us? Coming in here to see you, everyday, wondering if today was it- if today was the day you died. Then having to leave, to go to school like it was a normal day, clutching our cell phones and praying that they wouldn't ring?"

Kurt remained silent. The emotion pouring out of those brown eyes was overwhelming, driving a dagger of guilt into him with every word. Yes. He knew. He'd had to do the same thing when his father had had his heart attack. Of all people, he understood what Blaine was talking about. And he was sorry to have put anyone through that.

But he had to hope like hell that this would make them even. That keeping silent would keep David from going after any of his friends. To a guy like that, it was guilty by association. He'd proven he could get to them anytime he wanted.

He'd let Karofsky win this time, and just maybe, it would be enough to protect his friends. His family.

"Kurt, Blaine has a point," Finn pointed out cautiously. Over the past year he'd grown sensitive to his step brother's moods, and right now Kurt was screaming stubborn- and something else, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. He'd seen it before. A few times. The first time had been when Kurt had thrown a slushy on his own face.

"Then you and the Glee club will have to keep the same open mind with him that you did with me."

Finn shook his head, standing up and moving beside Blaine to show his support of the Dalton boys cause. "_You_ forced that open mind on us. You forced us to change. And I wished to hell that the whole school was in there with us. But, Kurt- there's nothing the Glee club can do. We couldn't protect you. We certainly won't be able to protect anyone else."

"It's not your fault, Finn. I don't blame you," Kurt said slowly, making sure Finn absorbed what he was saying. "And as long as the school isn't backing their students, there's nothing _anyone_ can do. Karofsky is just one kid, Finn."

"With an entire football team behind him," Finn snorted.

"My point is that it doesn't matter. The reason the no tolerance policy works at Dalton is because the _entire_ school, students and staff alike, are involved. If there isn't that support, that enforcement, then it doesn't matter. One Glee club and maybe three teachers- one of whom is a major bully herself- just doesn't have that kind of pull. It won't ever change, Finn, whether it's this years football team or next years."

Finn processed what Kurt was gently trying to tell him, and made note that Blaine had gone from absolutely enraged to sympathetic and understanding. The truth was in both their eyes. They had accepted that this was okay, that it would never change, that their voices didn't matter. This was their burden to bear, the price they paid for being themselves.

He wasn't smart. He knew that. And not too long ago, he was no different than Karofsky. But he had changed, had learned. And if he could do it, so could everyone else.


	6. Coming Home

**AN: **Final chapter until the sequel. Again, this was my first Glee fic, and despite the lack of reviews, I truly want to thank everyone who showed their support by alerting and favoriting my story!

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Burt Hummel didn't think he'd ever enjoy an argument between his two sons more. Kurt was sitting the passenger side of the car, too weak to actually get out by himself, but too stubborn to accept Finn's help.

"You can't make it on your own."

"I can make it on my own two feet, at least," Kurt hissed back.

"You're not supposed to walk yet," Finn insisted. He had spent the last week in the hospital being trained by the staff on how to lift the fragile boy without hurting him. Kurt had been miserable in the hospital, and finally been released on certain provisions. Since the family couldn't afford the in home attendant, Finn, Burt, Blaine and Carole had all been taught on how to care for him, on what signs to look for if things were going badly. He thought his teachers would be jealous over how hard he'd studied. "I'll call Blaine!" Finn threatened.

Unfortunately, no one had thought to teach Kurt on how to accept their help.

"You are _not_ carrying me, Finn Hudson!"

"Hudson-_Hummel_!" Finn shot back, which seemed to deflate his brother a little.

"Kurt, it's either that or we drive back to the hospital for that wheel chair. Let Finn help you."

Kurt relented, but not without his bitch face firmly in place. He was surprised by how gentle the large boy was in handling him, barely twinging his injuries at all. Still, for the sake of his pride, he was glad when Finn lowered him onto his own bed.

Considering he hadn't been aware of two of the three weeks of his hospital stay, Kurt was surprised at how much he'd missed his home.

"Thank you," he grudgingly admitted to Finn, seeing his parents were standing in the doorway of his bedroom.

"No problem. _Call _me if you need _anything_! You're _not_ supposed to walk yet!" Finn insisted. The staff at the hospital had acknowledge that there was a chance Kurt would heal better at home, but they hadn't been thrilled with letting him leave so soon. Had tried to scare them all with the level of help Kurt would need with even the simple things- like going to the bathroom. None of them had been deterred, not even Finn, who would be the one to do most of the lifting.

Kurt, though, had pushed the issue as he'd refused to eat the 'gruel' being served at the hospital. His already skeleton appearance made worse by his refusal to touch anything while in 'the joint'. It had panicked Burt enough to allow him home, and threaten to sign Kurt out AMA- on the promise that he would eat, and follow certain rules.

Ironically, it wasn't his ankle keeping him bed ridden, but the stab wound to his side. Still, it was so good to be home.

"Get some rest, Kurt. We'll wake you for dinner," Burt said as he gave his son a light hug.

Burt managed to hold it together until they were downstairs in the kitchen, and then he just stopped, staring at the stairs, tears running down his cheeks. "He's home. He's alive. He's home."

Carole glanced at Finn before taking the man she loved into her arms, reassuring him that they were here, and all together. It had been an extremely stressful three weeks for them. The wedding had offered them all hope, only to have it crushed. "I know."

Finn looked down at the table. "I'm sorry, Burt-"

Burt left his wife's arms, immediately crushing the quarterback with a hug. "It's _not_ your fault, Finn. No one blames you for what happened. And I can't tell you enough how grateful I am for all your help. I'm sorry I didn't say it before. This. Was. Not. Your. Fault!"

Finn returned the hug. He'd needed to hear those words for three weeks. "Thank you, Burt."

Carole wiped away her own tears, starting to bustle around the kitchen. "Finn, why don't you go out tonight? Spend some time with your friends?" she suggested. She was a mother, and could tell her son was at the end of his rope. Knowing things were going to get a lot harder before they got easier, she felt he should take some time to himself.

Finn shook his head, sitting back down at the table. "Kurt might need something. He's still so sick."

Understanding where his wife was coming from, Burt took out a few bills. "Why don't you take that Rachel girl out? Kurt will be asleep for hours. Trust me, I know how exhausting the trip home from the hospital is."

Finn hesitated. He hadn't spent a lot of time with Rachel these past weeks, and was more than grateful that she understood, and was supportive. She loved Kurt, too. But their relationship was still a little strained. "Call Blaine," he compromised, not willing to leave the younger boy completely powerless.

Carole frowned. "Blaine has been an extraordinary friend to Kurt, Finn, but he needs time to himself too."

Finn shook his head adamantly. "Burt isn't supposed to lift Kurt, and you can't, Mom, no matter how light he is. Call Blaine."

Just then the doorbell rang, and Finn rushed to get it before it woke Kurt up. He grinned when he saw who it was, and motioned him to follow.

Burt smiled when he saw Blaine on Finn's heels. "Speak of the devil."

Blaine grinned. "Nope, just a guardian angel. My mom's been doing the 'you _do_ remember you have a life outside that boy' thing for the past week. I figured your Mom would at least wait until Kurt was home."

Carole hesitated. "Your mother is right, Blaine. You've been amazing, no one is denying that, but-"

Blaine held up a finger in interruption. "Never follow a compliment with 'but', Mrs. Hummel, it completely ruins it. Besides, I figure I should get fed for my efforts, and Kurt tells me you're an absolute terror on his hips. That sure sounds better than the veal surprise Dalton is serving."

They'd become accustomed to Blaine's 'take charge attitude', had, in fact, been thankful for it on more than one occasion when Kurt's health had gone south. The young man had helped keep them together, keep them strong, for Kurt's sake. Now they laughed, his charming ways bringing an ease to the tension in the house.

Kurt was home and resting. The terror of the past weeks seemed to slide off them in their laughter. What could have destroyed their new family had, in fact, made it stronger. They had proven that, as a family, they could over come any obstacle.

They were all healing from the near tragedy, and they had learned to do it together. They all knew there was a long road ahead. Kurt still refused to name his attacker, and the mental impact of what had happened to him hadn't begun to hit him yet. Whether he would start eating again was a huge concern, and every degree of fever brought home the fact that he wasn't just going to magically wake up fine. But he was home. And they would help. And he would learn to accept it, from time to time.

So they laughed, and for the first time in a long time, they felt whole.


End file.
